Dumas police officer wins Big Bass BonanzaFOR THE COURIER NORTH LITTLE ROCK -- Challengers came from all over the state. "Big fish" were coming to the scales, all hoping to knock off the giant hauled in by Dumas police officer Ricky Cantrell, 37, in the opening hours of Day One. A 6.05-pound fish weighed in from Pine Bluff, and the lead held. A 6.23-pounder found its way in from Lake Dardanelle, and the lead held again. A hulking 6.62-pounder came in from Little Rock, and still the le...

Survey sheds light on WMA useFour out of 10 Arkansas resident waterfowl hunters have pursued ducks on wildlife management areas for six years or less, according to a recent survey completed by the University of Arkansas at Little Rock Survey Research Center. The survey was part of an increased effort by the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission (AGFC) to learn more about the men and women using The Natural State's WMA system. "It was surprising to learn that many of our resid...

Cantrell still leads Big Bass BonanzaNORTH LITTLE ROCK -- Eric Nolen sat at the dock with a pair of headphones glued to his ears, and a smartphone streaming the weigh-in being held just a few feet away. "I've got one just under four pounds," he said. "I'm waiting until 12 to weigh it in." Nolen's game plan is part of the strategy of the Simmons Bank Big Bass Bonanza, which enters its second day of competition on the Arkansas River with the $50,000 grand prize, and $10,000 pool pr...

Lake Nimrod is back in businessIt has been a long year for those of us who like to frequent Lake Nimrod in Yell County. We have had to deal with both a drawdown that started last summer, then an abundance of rain sent it spiraling out of its normal banks this spring. But as we speak, things are returning to normal and hopefully the great fishing will as well. Not only does Nimrod have a wide variety of fish, it also boasts a large number of fishing venues. From the main lak...

Bound for gloryKaitlin Bounds, 25, can't contain her excitement when talking about the runners she has looked up to -- runners she aspires to be like. "There's just so many of them," she said, beaming. Bounds, who was diagnosed with autism at age 4, will join some of them when she takes her place on Team USA at the 2017 World Para Athletics Championships track and field competition in London, England, on July 14-23. In fact, Bounds currently holds three Unit...

Dumas angler tops Big Bass BonanzaLITTLE ROCK -- The grand prize of $50,000 hangs in the balance for Ricky Cantrell, as a 6.76-pound bass landed in the early hours of day one Friday of the Simmons Bank Big Bass Bonanza has him sitting atop the leaderboard of the three-day event. Cantrell waited out severe weather blowing across the eastern portion of the state in the aftermath of Tropical Storm Cindy for the big bass. Now, he'll have to wait out two more competitive days of fi...

Pottsville coach earns two statewide awardsCONWAY -- Pottsville Lady Apaches head coach Greg Jones doesn't keep the softball awards he's been given over the years. Instead, his son, Ben Jones, puts them on the wall in his room. Ben added two after the All-Star basketball and softball games on Tuesday and Thursday in Conway -- the Arkansas High School Coaches Association (AHSCA) Softball Coach of the Year and the AHSCA Girls Sports Coach of the Year. Ben, 15, has collected his father's ...

Cyclone basketball camp a big successThe Russellville Cyclones Youth Skills Camp means as much to the campers as it does to the high school players who help run it. Cyclones head coach Matt Hall said it's a great way for his players to "give back." "It's really good for the high schoolers because almost all of them were a part of the camp as children," he said. "They get to give back to something that means a lot to them." Hall said the camp is used to introduce kids to the game ...

Revolution Baseball wins finale tournamentTHE COURIER / Submitted Revolution Baseball wins finale Revolution Baseball, a 10U USSSA travel team out of Pottsville won the It's a Wrap Season Finale Tournament in Van Buren on June 18. Revolution Baseball, who scored 29 runs and only gave up eight in the tournament, defeated the Ozark All-Stars and Perfect Timing Arsenault on their way to the championship. Team members are (from left): Front -- Cade Shamblen, Grayson Olson and Brayden Brot...

Falconer Memorial tourney set for July 29After completing the most successful season in program history, the Arkansas Tech men's golf program is preparing to host the fifth annual Dave Falconer Memorial Golf Tournament on July 29 at the Russellville Country Club. The three-person scramble tournament will honor former Wonder Boys golf coach Dave Falconer. All proceeds raised at the event will fund the Arkansas Tech men's golf program for the 2017-18 season. The event is slated for an ...

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ATU Athletic CommunicationsThe Courier Your Messenger For The River Valley

Hill gives up coaching (for now)Only one thing could make former Dardanelle Lady Sand Lizards head coach Lyndsey Hill give up softball -- her family. Hill, who has a 2-year-old son named Cash and is 8 months pregnant with her daughter Blake, took a job teaching at Pottsville and has stepped down as head coach of the Lady Sand Lizards following the 2017 season. "It has everything to do with family," Hill said. "First of all, I'll be in the same building as my husband Garrett,...

Golfers raise money for cancer research at Stan Maxwell tourneyTHE COURIER / Submitted Golfers raise money for cancer research at Stan Maxwell tourney Over 100 golfers came together for the annual Lt. Stan Maxwell Memorial Golf Tournament at Chamberlyne to raise money for the American Cancer Society. Winners at the tournament were G-Ray's team (first) and Beacon Tire (second). Following the tournament, additional money was raised during a banquent and auction.

Cyclones win 7-on-7 in CharlestonA little victory goes a long way, according to Russellville Cyclones head football coach Jeff Weaver. The Cyclones are Class 6A defending champions, but with a complete system installation over the offseason, Weaver said the kids needed to buy in. Russellville won the Tiger Classic 7-on-7 tournament in Charleston on Saturday. "Seeing success really sells the kids on what we are doing," Weaver said. "And we are teaching the younger kids how to ...

Lemley inducted into track Hall of FameLITTLE ROCK -- Charles Lemley became the third Russellville native to be inducted into the Arkansas Track and Field Hall of Fame during a June 2 banquet at the Wyndham Riverfront Hotel. "I've been associated with track my whole life," Lemley said. "I was introduced as a sixth grader by the principal of the elementary school. I've always loved track, and I had a little success at it. It just means a lot to be inducted into something like that."...

The workout that almost killed meWhat started with a desire to get in shape, ended with me in the hospital for five days. I came precariously closer to death than I realized until much later, and when I tell people why, the response is the always the same: "That's a thing that can happen?" It's called Rhabdomyolysis, and it's when damaged skeletal muscle breaks down, enters the bloodstream and clogs up your kidneys. Without treatment, it leads to kidney failure and death. It ...